Gate opening and closing apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the opening and closing of a gate which uses an electrically operated motor to open and close the gate. The motor is operated by a plurality of batteries electrically mounted in series. The batteries are to be charged by a solar charging device. When charging, the batteries are connected electrically in parallel.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of this invention relates to devices for automatically openingand closing of a gate.

The use of gates in conjunction with fences has long been known. Acommon location of use is within rural areas such as on a farm or aranch. It is most common that when a need arises to open the gate,generally the person requiring that the gate be opened is located withinsome type of vehicle such as a truck or a piece of farm equipment. Thecommon procedure is for the individual to stop the vehicle and removehimself from the vehicle in order to open the gate. Then the individualmust get back into the vehicle and move the vehicle a few feet throughthe gate. Then the individual must again disembark from the vehicle andrelatch the gate and then the individual gets back into the vehicle andcontinues on his or her way.

It is common for a rancher or farmer to be required to open and closeseveral gates each and every day. As a result, a substantial amount oftime can be lost in the opening and closing of gates. This time couldcertainly be better utilized in conjunction with the individual's normalwork of farming and ranching.

Within recent years, the farmer or rancher has been able to purchase anautomatic gate opening apparatus. This gate opening apparatus can beoperated by a manual switch located some spaced distance from the gate,or can be operated by either an emitted sound wave or radio wave.Switching systems can be by a push button operated switch, a card, a keyor a digital entry system which requires the entry of a certainnumerical combination.

Previously, the automatic operating of such a gate has been through theuse of electrical power. Electrical power requires a source ofelectrical energy. Because such gates are commonly located in locationsfar from electrically conducting cables, some other type of source ofelectrical energy is required other than conventional line electricalcurrent.

A common type of electrical source would be one or more batteries. Withthe automatic gate openers of the prior art, it has been common thatonly after a few openings and closings of the gate, the batteries needto be recharged. To avoid this recharging procedure, it has been commonto install in connection with the batteries a solar powered rechargingdevice whose function is to recharge the batteries during the time thatthe gate is not being used. However, within the prior art, even afterone hundred fifty to two hundred openings and closings of a solarcharged gate, the batteries will still require a separate rechargingprocedure.

There is a need to construct a gate which uses a minimal amount ofenergy during the opening and closing of a gate so that a substantialincreased number of gate openings and closings is achieved through theuse of the batteries mounted in conjunction with the gate and also sothat the solar charging device is able to recharge the batteries withoutthe use of further additional separate chargings.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The apparatus of the present invention utilizes an arm which isconnected to a gate. The arm connects to a motor. Electrically operatingof the motor includes the arm which in turn moves the gate from a closedposition to an open position and vice versa. A pair of batteries aremounted in conjunction with the motor. These batteries operate through aswitching device, in series, when operating the motor. Also connectedwith the batteries is a solar powered charging device. The solar poweredcharging device automatically supplies electrical energy to thebatteries when the gate is in its closed position. The solar poweredcharging device operates in an electrically parallel relationship withrespect to the batteries.

One of the advantages of the present invention is to utilize the gateopening and closing apparatus which does not require the running of anyelectrical cable to the apparatus.

Another objective of the present invention is to construct a gateopening and closing apparatus wherein a fully charged apparatus willopen and close a gate over two thousand times with no charging energybeing supplied to the batteries.

Another objective of the present invention is that with solar chargingenergy being supplied to the batteries, the gate can be operated overone hundred fifty time per day with no loss of energy within thebatteries and without the batteries ever requiring a separate rechargingprocedure.

Another objective of the present invention is to construct a solarpowered gate opening and closing apparatus which is non-complex inconstruction and can be manufactured at less cost than the prior artapparatuses.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the gate opening and closing apparatusshowing such being mounted in conjunction with a conventional gate; and

FIG. 2 is a an electrical schematic diagram of the gate opening andclosing apparatus of this invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE SHOWN EMBODIMENT

Referring particular to the drawing, there is shown a conventional fence10 which is composed of a plurality of spaced apart fence posts 12 whichare mounted within the ground. Located between directly adjacent fenceposts 12 are a plurality of vertically spaced apart rails 14. To providefor ease of movement through the fence 10, there is included a gate 16.This gate 16 is shown in FIG. 1 as being located in the closed positionand is capable of being moved to an open position represented by line18. It is to be understood that the construction of the fence 10 and thegate 16 may be either of wood, metal or any other rigid material.

Mounted in conjunction with the fence 10 in a fixed position is a cementbase 20. Mounted on the base 20 is a housing 22. Also mounted on thebase 20 located directly adjacent the housing 22 is a battery housing24. Connected with the housing 22 is a pole 26. The outer end of thepole 26 connects to a solar panel housing 28. The solar panel 28includes an array of solar cells 34. The function of the solar cells 34is to receive energy from the sun and transform such into electricalenergy which is conducted by wires (not shown) through the pole 26 tobatteries 30 and 32 which are mounted within the battery housing 24.

Located within the housing 22 is an electrically operated motor 36. Thismotor 36 has a rotationally driven output shaft 38. Also mounted withinthe housing 22 is a switching assembly which includes a manuallyoperated switch 40 and a motor operated switch 42. The motor operatedswitch 42 is to be movable to the closed position by means of aconnection to the shaft 38. Upon the shaft 38 having rotated aprescribed number of revolutions or operated for a prescribed period oftime, the switch 42 will then move from its closed position (connectingelectrical conductors 44 and 46) to an open position which is shown insolid lines of FIG. 2 of the drawing.

Activation of switch 40 is to cause motor 36 to be operated. Operationof motor 36 will then cause switch 42 to move to the closed position.Switch 42 will remain in this closed position even after release of theswitch 40 thereby insuring that the motor 36 will be operated for thepre-established period of time. It is to be understood that the switch40 can actually comprise a manually operated push button switch or cancomprise a card key or a sonic or radio controlled activation device.

Activation of switch 40 causes relay coil 48 to be activated. Activationof relay coil 48 results in switches 50, 52 and 54 to be moved from thesolid line position shown in FIG. 2 to the dotted line position shown inFIG. 2. When in the dotted line position, the batteries 30 and 32 arelocated electrically in series with the motor 36. Therefore, if thebatteries 30 and 32 are twelve volt batteries, there are actuallytwenty-four volts being utilized to operate the motor 36 supplyingmaximum power to operate the motor 36.

After the motor has operated for the prescribed period of time and theswitch 42 moves to the solid line position shown in FIG. 2, the coil 48is deactivated causing switches 50, 52 and 54 to again move to the solidline shown positions of FIG. 2. In this particular position, the solarcell array 34 is now located electrically in parallel with batteries 30and 32. Let it be assumed that the array 34 has an output of one andone-half amps of power. It is possible that one and one-half amps overan extended period of time could cause damage to a battery. In the past,within the prior art, in order to avoid such damage, it was necessary toput in the circuitry a regulator. However, within the present invention,the use of a regulator is not necessary because instead of one andone-half amps of power being supplied to the batteries, the batteries 30and 32 are located in parallel with the array 34. This means that onlythree-quarters of an amp of power is being supplied to each battery 32.At this low level of current, damage to any of the batteries 30 and 32is not possible.

The motor shaft 38 connects to an arm 56. The outer end of the arm 56 isattached to a rod 58. The rod 58 is adjustable on arm 56. The outer endof rod 58 is connected to a bracket 60. Bracket 60 is mounted on thegate 16. Therefore, rotation of the motor shaft 38 results in angulardisplacing of the arm 56 from the solid line position shown in FIG. 1 tothe position depicted by line 62. This displacing of arm 56 will movethe gate 16 from the closed position to the open position and viceversa. Therefore, it is to be understood that the shaft 38 is to berotatable in both directions which means that the motor 36 has to be areversible motor. Appropriate conventional electrical mechanism is to beincluded within the circuitry shown in FIG. 2 in order to provide forreversing of the motor 36 upon the gate 16 reaching its open positionrepresented by line 18. Also, the electrical circuitry will include adelay which will have the gate 16 remain in the open position for aprescribed period of time before closing.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gate opening and closing apparatuscomprising:an electrically operated motor; an arm, said arm beingmovable between a first position and a second position, said arm beingmoved by said motor, said arm being connected to said gate for openingand closing; a pair of batteries, said batteries to supply energy tosaid motor, said batteries being electrically connected in series whenoperating said motor thereby additively utilizing the voltage of bothbatteries; a solar powered charging device, said solar powered chargingdevice being connected to said batteries, said solar powered chargingdevice being electrically connected in parallel with said batteries whencharging said batteries thereby evenly dividing the amperage of saidsolar powered charging device between said batteries; and switchingmeans, said switching means being operable to operate both said motorand the connection of said solar powered charging device to saidbatteries, said switching means being movable between an at-restposition and a motor operating position, said charging device beingconnected to said batteries when said switching means is in said at-restposition, and disconnected when said switching means in said motoroperating position.
 2. The gate opening and closing apparatus as definedin claim 1 wherein:upon said motor being initially activated said motorwill continue to operate until a predetermined limit of operation isreached which coincides to complete opening of the gate.